Genesis vocalist Phil Collins announces retirement

LONDON (Reuters) - British singer, drummer and actor Phil Collins, who has enjoyed international chart success both as a solo artist and with the band Genesis, announced on his website that he has retired.

Media reports in recent days have given conflicting accounts of Collins' intentions, with some saying he has retired and others denying it.

"Why they were printed at all is a mystery, as I haven't spoken to anybody in the press for a few months," wrote the 60-year-old from London.

In a bid to set the record straight, he said he was not quitting due to bad reviews, poor treatment by the press, because he did not fit in or because he felt unloved.

"I am stopping so I can be a full-time father to my two young sons on a daily basis," Collins added.

"Some of the things mentioned above have been said by me in various interviews, but said as asides with a smile on my face and in passing.

"They were not meant to be 'headlines', they were small parts of a conversation. This clearly doesn't come over in print and I should know better."

He said some of the press coverage had portrayed him as a "tormented weirdo," but he reassured fans there was "no need for the straitjacket."

He made no mention of reports that health problems, including nerve damage in his hands, had forced him to retire.
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